Tesla Design S evaluate right after 160,000km and four decades possession

Tesla use vehicle enterprise operator Slava Kozlovskii has shared his working experience of proudly owning a Tesla Design S for 4 a long time and how it has executed right after driving 160,000km as a rental car.

Kozlovskii started off the electric automobile hire organization Evee in 2019 and it now has cars for hire in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania, Canberra, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and even in Alice Springs.

He claims he designed the video for the automobile, which he is before long placing up for sale, to assist “change much more minds and bust additional myths about EV dependability.”

“I focus on battery capacity reduction, supercharging speed, buy and sale selling prices, value of services also that leasing it out has verified to be a very good thought,” Kozlovskii instructed The Pushed in a take note by email.

“I did my best to remain unbiased and highlight the fantastic factors as effectively as the lousy kinds.”

It’s a very educational critique. From acquire and sale selling price, it goes into how renting it out has loaded that economical hole, what expenses ended up associated, as well as how the car or truck has held up to the requires of getting a rental auto including battery capacity and supercharging.

The auto in dilemma is a rear-wheel drive Design S with 70 kWh battery – the base variant when it was purchased for $140,000 in 2016 – and which arrived with Enhanced Autopilot and components edition 1..

“I believe it’s held up its worth quite well comparing to any other petrol car now these days,” claims Kozlovskii in the evaluation video clip which you can watch down below, introducing he is now promoting it for $66,000.

“We’ve carried out an common of about 40,000 km a yr or so, that was on highways and travelling from Sydney and Canberra and anytime it was rented …. highway trips to regional Australia as properly.”

He states that in all that time, the battery capability has only dropped 9 for each cent.

“When we were being originally charging it to 100% it would exhibit about 365km on whole demand and now it shows 332km when it’s hotter outdoors – it basically goes a bit greater [in cooler weather] to 336km, so it is about 8-9% battery ability decline in this time,” he says, adding that the most intriguing factor was most of this was lost in the first 80,000 km.

In that time, “The efficiency and dealing with of this car has virtually not transformed in any respect,” he suggests.

“There is absolutely nothing that happens to the electric powered motors and it accelerates and types and corners and handles as very well as it did on day 1 which is which is extraordinary.

“It sticks to the street corners as nicely the battery sits very low in the middle of the car or truck, with 50/50 distribution and it is just a enjoyment to generate.”

In phrases of servicing and routine maintenance, he suggests there have been predominantly electronic concerns to offer with given that the 80,000km warranty ran out, at a value of all over $10,000.

“Wile the motor vehicle was continue to under guarantee [there were] a few of factors but it didn’t trouble us as it was under guarantee. But quickly soon after we ran out of warranty …. we had to substitute MCU (the principal media command unit) which is the principal screen,” he states. “That was probably shut to $4,000 to change.”

He adds that the most important DC charger also unsuccessful, which place a $3,500 gap in the pocket.

“Little things started off to pile up as perfectly this sort of as door handles not popping up, and you know it’s $200, $300 below in there so in the previous 18 months I almost certainly invested near to $10,000 on servicing.”

“So I undoubtedly endorse hunting at some prolonged warranty options …. just simply because all the electronics start to enjoy up a tiny little bit with age and I’m confident the new vehicles are a ton extra stable in this sense,” says Kozlovskii.

Even with the superior charge of maintenance following the guarantee ran out, the fact that the car was generating money additional than compensated for this.

“Because we have been Renting this car now … it’s essentially paid out for all it’s costs which include depreciation, insurance policies, assistance, every little thing involved over 4 many years,” he claims.

He describes the excess home in the automobile thanks to the “frunk” (or should it be named entrance boot, or “froot”, in Australia?), which has more than enough space for a stroller without having detracting from rear cargo area.

He also notes that rear wheel generate Teslas tend to don down the interior tread of the back tyres speedily.

“The exciting issue about the rear wheel drive Model S [wears out the inner rear tread] mainly because [when you] accelerate it really type of sits down and so the inner tread has more friction with the street,” he states.

“Another point is regeneration comes about only on the rear wheels – there is practically nothing on the front wheels that is in fact halting the automobile apart from the actual actual physical mechanical brakes.”

Even though the 2016 Design S came only with a solitary ahead digital camera (new types have eight all-around the vehicle to give comprehensive surround eyesight), Kozlovskii suggests it still performs functions these types of as lane help and alter pretty perfectly, and that driving concerning Sydney and Canberra he would have it on about 98% of the time.

As for supercharging, he admits that the most demand rate isn’t pretty what it employed to be – but that you genuinely only have to have to charge to full potential for extended excursions.

“You only need that [full] battery capacity to basically travel concerning long distances among superchargers who for travelling from Sydney to Melbourne, your drive is 170 km 200 km, [then you] prevent for 30 minutes supercharging and continue to keep heading.”

He performs a supercharger exam: with just 15km still left in the battery, he achieves a top demand amount of 108kW.

“When new it was 114-115kw,” he claims, introducing that the top rated cost fee drops speedily before long after charging commences.

“This is one factor about Tesla, you know they they say charging velocity of 1,000 kilometres an hour …. on the more recent vehicles which is accurate, but it is only accurate for the initially 10-15 minutes of charging.

“The truth that you can cost 1000 kilometres an hour for the to start with 5 minutes doesn’t definitely impact the total charging time,” he claims. To charge to complete now normally takes him close to 2.5 several hours, while usually Tesla house owners will set a major restrict of 80-90% as the previous 10-20% charging will take so lengthy.

The verdict? Just after 160,000km driving in 4 years, the 2016 Tesla Product S has misplaced 35km, or 9% of its driving vary, and if Kozlovskii gets his inquiring price of $66,000, it will have missing 53% in value.